


The Truth

by reigningqueenofwords



Series: What Happened? [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-28 23:17:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17192066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reigningqueenofwords/pseuds/reigningqueenofwords





	The Truth

Dean had met his father, like he asked. He’d been in the middle of a case, but his father had said it was important. John hadn’t said a word since they’d met up ten minutes ago, just watched Dean.

“ _So_? What’s so important? We were in the middle of hunting a _werewolf_.” Dean snapped finally. It was than that John decided his next course of action. Stay. Just to let Dean know was the fun part. Rather than saying anything, he pulled out the picture. Handing it to Dean, he watched his son. “Some girl? Was she kidnapped or something?” He asked, handing it back.

Sighing, John shook his head. “She’s a Winchester.” He was hoping Dean would put it together, but it looked like it was going a totally different direction.

Dean narrowed his eyes. “We have a _sister_? When were you going to tell us? Is she in trouble?” Even though he didn’t know her, he was ready to protect her. It made John proud.

“Daughter.”

“What?” He asked, confused.

“She’s _yours_ , Dean.” He told him quietly. “You have a daughter.”

Dean shook his head. “Tha-that can’t be. She’s _what_? six?” He was starting to panic.

“Seven. Cheyenne is Seven.” John hoped that the motel room would stay intact after this. He knew that his son had one hell of a temper. “Her full name…. is Cheyenne Mary Winchester.” He added.

“How long?” Dean started, getting angry. “How long have you known about her?” John guessed hearing his mother’s name just added fuel to the fire. It had always been a touchy subject for the Winchester men.

John got up and walked to the small fridge and pulled out two beers. Handing one to Dean, he tried to stay calm. “I only found out right before I called you. I’d been in a nearby town. I noticed someone who looked so familiar, and I couldn’t figure out why. It bothered me. Something in my gut told me to stick around. I did. For a whole week. I went to where she worked for coffee every day. Finally, she sat down and said that she thought she knew me.” He shrugged, taking a sip of his beer. Dean was staring at him, hands on his hips. “She couldn’t place me, either. When she looked away, something just clicked. I asked if she used to date you. Her face made me want to know more. She looked like she was _scared_ , Dean.”

Dean pulled the cap off his beer and took a long swig. “She was afraid of me?” He asked quietly. That was something he didn’t want. Sure, he wanted monsters and demons to fear him, but never someone he had dated. Hell, anyone innocent.

“No. I asked her if she wanted to meet after work. She said she had some things to do. We ended up meeting for dinner later that night. It was then everything came out. I don’t think she was scared _of_ you…just of seeing you.” John explained. “She was sixteen, Dean. _Sixteen_! She couldn’t reach you to tell you, and I think that’s a big part of it.” Now his anger was starting to show, even if it wasn’t Dean’s fault.

“What’s her name?”

Licking his lips, he debated. “Y/N.”

“What? Y/N? You mean that girl I dated for like _four months_ way back when?” He asked, trying to remember more about her than a name and a face. He moved around far too much, killed a lot of brain cells fighting, and killed even more drinking. “ _Wait_. You see a girl I used to date, and you go on a date with her?!?” He asked, near yelling.

John furrowed his brows. “ _God. No_ , Dean!” He yelled back. “I wanted to know why she looked so scared to see you!”

Running a hand over his face, Dean shook his head. “I don’t know what it’s like to _not_ fight this fight. I was raised for nothing else, Dad! _You_ put that on us. What am I supposed to do?” He asked. “Leave Sammy on his own? Walk back into her life after eight years and try to play _dad_? To pretend that I know what the hell I’m doing?” Dean was freaked. “I’ve never stayed in one place long. Hell, even at the bunker. I’m on the road more than anything. Can you picture _me_ staying in some small town?”

“I will.” John said, looking at his son. Dean stopped pacing and rambling, not even sure that he heard him right. “I’ve been on the road just as long, Dean. I’ve been fighting all that time. Monster after monster. I’ve spilled _so_ much blood. And not just of those monsters. Innocent people that were unfortunate enough to have a demon in them.” He let out a sigh. “I’m _tired_ , Dean. I want to keep going, but I did what we set out to do. The demon responsible for your mother’s death is dead. All I’ve wanted was for you to have a home, Sammy to go to school, and for us to be a family.” Shaking his head, he took a swig. “You’re right. I raised you boys to _hunt_. And now you find out you have a daughter and hunting stands in the way. She _deserves_ someone to be there for her. I’ll stay. _I’ll be there._ I wasn’t there for you boys like I should have been. I won’t do the same to her.”

Dean stared at him. He found himself realizing that he was following his father’s footsteps. “Dad…it’s not that I don’t _want_ to. It’s not. It’s not _safe_. Hell, it’s not even safe for you to stay there.” He said, sitting on the end of the bed. “Hunters don’t just get out of the life. _It’s always there_.”

“And that’s why I need to stay. She’s a _Winchester_.” John explained. “What happens to her when word spreads that there’s a little Winchester out there? _Without_ her father’s protection? Y/N will be targeted. There’s no telling what those black eyed bastards would do to her. And _Cheyenne_? She’s young. What do you think they’ll do to her? They won’t kill her. They’ll just take her. Turn her into their own little puppet. Warp her. There’s no telling.” It had been plaguing him since he drove away from town. “If I’m there, at least they’ll stand a chance.”

“I don’t know.” He looked down at the bottle of beer in his hands, picking at the label. “I feel like I should at least make an appearance.” Dean said, looking up for a second.

John shrugged. “She seemed pretty shaken up. Give her time. I’ll talk to her when I get back tomorrow.” They sat in silence for some time, neither sure what to say.

“So. That means your a grandfather, right old man?” Dean smirked. 

* * *

You rolled over to see your daughter smiling at you. “Morning, mommy.” She said in a sing-song voice. Having her wake you up was always much more pleasant than an alarm clock.

“Morning, baby.” You yawned. “Are you hungry?”

She hopped up on your bed, kneeling. “There’s a man here. I made him wait in the hallway for you and locked him out. I did get the bag of bagels and cream cheese from him first, though.” She laughed. You were still trying to wake up when she hit you with that information. It had been a few days since you had spoken to John. You hadn’t seen him since. Sitting straight up in bed, you ran your hand through your hair.

“Stay. Here. I will tell you when you come out, okay?” You said, climbing out of bed. You were in a pair of boxers and a tank top. It didn’t even occur to you that you should grab a robe or something. Your socked feet didn’t make a noise as you walked to your front door. It was a fairly small apartment, as it was just the two of you, and you couldn’t afford a lot. Looking through the eye hole, you were shocked to see John.

Confused, you cracked the door. “John?” You said, covering your mouth to yawn. “How did you know where I live?”

He shrugged. “Part of what I do is find people.” John explained.

Nodding, you licked your lips and moved aside. “I don’t have to work today, so I _had_ planned to sleep in. Thanks for that.” You teased him. “So, I hear Chey took the bag of bagels from you before locking you out?” You asked, crossing your arms over your chest. He couldn’t help but notice your attire, and _lack_ of a certain undergarment. John forced himself to ignore it.

“Yeah, she did.” He laughed, looking around. “I was surprised to have Dean’s twin answer the door. I thought you’d be awake by now. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. I should probably get up to run errands anyway.” You told him. “I, uh, haven’t told her about seeing you. I hadn’t seen you again, so I didn’t want to get her hopes up. When she said there was a man here, I thought it was Dean.”

“No. He’s-He’s a couple hours away. I _did_ tell him about everything, though.” John explained. “He freaked. Naturally. He’s not exactly a family man.” That earned an eye roll. “He still travels. Took over my job, actually.” Which really wasn’t a lie. “So, I got an apartment here.”

You looked at him, confused. “I haven’t had my coffee yet. I thought I heard you say that you have an… _apartment_ here?” You ran your hand through your hair.

John laughed. Your ‘just out of bed’ look was amusing. “Yeah, in this complex, actually. It was the only one available. I figured this way, if he passes through, and you’re willing to see him…he has a place to stay.”

“You mean _besides_ the motel?”

“Yeah. It’s not that great there. The ice machine doesn’t even work.”

That got a laugh out of you. Hearing little feet, you looked down to see your daughter. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in my room, missy?” You asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Who’s he mommy? I heard Daddy’s name.” She was far too much like her father. The man was way too observant.

Sighing, you kneeled next to her. “Baby, this is your grandfather.” You said gently. “He’s your daddy’s daddy.”

She looked over at him with a huge smile. “ _Grandpa_?” Her voice was so happy. You stood up and looked at John. “Does this mean Daddy’s here, too?” Cheyenne asked, very hopeful.

Your eyes pleaded with him to be gentle. He sat on the edge of the couch and smiled. You couldn’t help but notice how his smile reached his eyes. “Your Daddy wants to come. He _wants_ to see you. He’s just a little busy right now. I’ll tell your mommy as soon as he can visit, and we can all get ice cream or something.” You let out a breath that you didn’t even know you were holding.

“Alright, we have a busy day ahead of us. Go get dressed and I’ll get your bagel ready.” You looked down at your daughter. “ _Go_.” A laugh escaped your lips as she skipped off. So much energy.

Turning back to John you smiled. “Thank you for that.” You moved towards the kitchen, motioning for him to follow. “I’m guessing he’s really not busy, though.” You said as you pulled out the bagels and cream cheese.

John sat at the table as you worked. “He is, actually. He was with Sammy when I called. He’s staying close by for a bit, though. He’s just waiting for you to get used to the idea of seeing him.”

You paused, butter knife in hand as you spread the cream cheese. “I know that I _should_ be happy that he finally knows. I should be happy that he wants to see her. I- I just…It’s been _just us for so long._ ” Your voice was sad. “Sure, my parents helped me finish high school, but I didn’t go to college, John. I got odd jobs. I saved up to get this place. We’ve been here since she was _three_.” Once you finished the bagel, you walked over and handed it to him. “He’s got a life outside of this little town. _I’m_ the one who is going to have to comfort her when he leaves again.” Shaking your head, you chewed your lip. “I want to just give in. I want to let him see her more than anything. I just _don’t_ want my little girl to get her heart broken because her father isn’t around.” Moving back to the kitchen, you worked on Cheyenne’s bagel. “Thanks for the bagels, by the way.” You chuckled.

He took a bite of his bagel, knowing that you  needed to get that all out. He realized how much you’d grown up in the years since he last saw you. Back then you were a sixteen year old whose only worry was college and boys. Here you were, twenty-four, a mother, bills to pay, and doing it all alone. Once you  seemed to be done with your  rambling, he stood up and walked over to you. “That’s why I’ll be here. It won’t be the same, but it _won’t_ be just you two anymore. I’d like to get to know her, be there for her. Help you out when she’s sick, or you run out of milk and can’t get to the store. She’s family.” John said. “Which makes _you_ family. Hopefully, I can lessen the blow of him not sticking around.”

At his words, you looked over to him. “I hope so, too, John.”

Hearing Cheyenne, you put on a happy face. “Here you go. I need to go change. Once your done, wash your face and you can watch TV.” Turning to John you shrugged. “You’re more then welcome to finish breakfast with her, or you can go do…whatever.” You chuckled.

“I should _probably_ look for some kind of furniture.” John said. “If you’re free, would you like to get lunch?”

“Yup, we’ll be there. Thanks, Grandpa.” Cheyenne said, not looking up from her food.

“Well, get my cell from little miss over there and just text me whatever’s good for you.” You said, moving to walk away. Once in your room, you closed the door and let out a sigh.

John waited until he heard the doors close. “Hey, Cheyenne?” She looked over, cream cheese all over her mouth. Chuckling, he shook his head. “What’s your mom’s favorite flowers? I have a feeling she doesn’t get them enough, does she?” He asked.

Cheyenne finished what she was chewing and shook her head. “She likes wild flowers. And no. The last guy who brought them turned out to be a jerk.  I’m not allowed to say the _other_ words she called him.” John loved how honest kids were. “Anyway. My mom’s cell phone number is on the fridge with all the others.” She motioned behind her.

“Thanks, kiddo. See you at lunch.”


End file.
